What can you do?

If water is several inches high and touching your walls DO NOT ENTER IT!

The water may be touching electrical components and can electrocute you

Turn off all power to your home before entering standing water indoors

Open up lowest faucet in your home (often a bathtub or outdoor spigot)

Limit water damage by soaking and blocking standing water

Use towels, sheets, sandbags, anything you have to prevent damage to your walls

Broken Water Lines

When a main water line going to or leading from your home is broken or damaged, water leaks are often unseen for some time (hours or even days). Water seeps up from the leaking pipe to the ground level where a wet patch develops.

What causes broken water lines?

Tree roots (most common)

Shovels/digging (accidental breakage)

Earthquakes

Heavy equipment and machinery

How to Identify a broken water line?

Wet patches of water that never dry (typically on your lawn)

Often located near tree and their expansive roots

If inside, the wet spot will refill after drying with a towel within minutes or hours

Low water pressure

Poor water quality (dirty water)

What can you do?

If inside, turn off your water main (if possible) immediately to prevent further water damage

Open up lowest faucet in your home (often a bathtub or outdoor spigot)

What can you do?

No Hot Water (or Cold Water)

The hot water from all of your faucets does is cold or does not warm up to its usual temperature. Especially in colder weather, hot water is essential and it can be very disruptive if your hot water goes out.

What causes hot water loss?

Water heating element malfunction (most common)

Power outage

How to Identify a water heater issue?

Check that the circuit breaker for the hot water heater is tripped (for electric heaters)

Clogged Sink

A sink drains slowly or not at all and gets worse over time and use. Although this is not an emergency, it is a problem that can put a stop to daily activities like brushing teeth, doing dishes, or even washing your hands.

What causes clogged sinks?

Excess debris (most common)

Sewer backup issue

How to Identify a clog issue?

Water does not flow quickly down the drain

Water remains stagnant in the sink without draining

What can you do?

Drain cleaner

Use a sink plunger

Attempt to fish the clog out with wire hanger or other device

Beware: metal hangers can poke holes in older pipes and make a situation much worse

What can you do?

Clogged Bathtub and Shower Drains

Water from a bath or shower no longer drains properly. Sometimes it will not drain at all or it will take several minutes or even hours to drain completely. Although this is not an emergency, it is a problem that can put a stop to bathing for as long as the issue persists.

What causes clogged drains?

Excess hair debris (most common)

Sewer backup issue

How to Identify a drain issue?

Water does not flow quickly down the drain

Water remains stagnant in the tub or shower without draining

What can you do?

Drain cleaner

Try a drain plunger to push the blockage out of the clog

Attempt to fish the clog out with wire hanger or other device

Beware: metal hangers can poke holes in older pipes and make a situation much worse

Leaky Faucets and Toilets

Water from a bath or shower no longer drains properly. Sometimes it will not drain at all or it will take several minutes or even hours to drain completely. Although this is not an emergency, it is a problem that can put a stop to bathing for as long as the issue persists.

What causes leaks?

Old piping (most common)

Rust or calcium buildup

Loose fittings or joints

How to Identify a leak?

Small pools of water around the base of your faucet or toilet

Dampness or pooling under the sink

Visible dripping or streams of water coming off of faucet or toilet pipes

What can you do?

Turn off the water to the faucet or toilet if you do not need to use them

Place a bucket or towel under the leak to collect the water and prevent damage

Leaky Washing Machine Hoses

If you notice water in your laundry room and you are confident it is not from your water heater, then your pipes from your washer are likely leaking. Though not a true emergency, not being able to wash your clothes without creating a pool in your laundry room can be frustrating.

What causes washers to leak?

Loose fittings (most common)

Leaking water tub

How to Identify a washer issue?

Place your hands on all pipe, hoses, joints, and fittings that you can reach

if any are noticeably wet, you have an issue

If nothing from above feels wet do the following

If water has pooled around the washer area, soak it up till dry with towels

Lay down new towels around the washer

Run a small/short cycle through the washer

Check your towels for new wet spots to determine if your washer is leaking

What can you do?

Attempt to tighten fittings

Beware: if you are not familiar with doing this, you might cause more harm than good

When in doubt, call a plumber (better safe than soaking wet)

If you are unsure or unconfident, you should call an expert before doing any repairs yourself. So, in the event of a plumbing emergency, follow the steps outlined above and make the call. Rob McDowell in more than just an expert, he is a certified master plumber with more than 20 years of experience. He can tackle any emergency job quickly and get you and your home back to normal.